


Missing Sheep

by StoryTellerBoneZone



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-03 01:34:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21171227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryTellerBoneZone/pseuds/StoryTellerBoneZone
Summary: Beowulf is sick of being weaker than her cousins. Named after a legend, she would think she's destined for greatness. She can't handle being so weak.





	1. Good Bye Letter

I wasn’t like my cousins. Sure, we all had our different fun. But I don’t think they understand that I have a serious problem. It’s built into my blood. The stars aligned.  
Okay, and I understand that we have our issues. Cousin NIcholas is an emotionally drained mess. He told me once that every time he talks to someone, every time he hugs someone, he feels completely empty. Everything is physical, nothing underneath the surface. He’s dying inside. But he’s always the first one to come to. He’s not the oldest one of my cousins, even my first cousins. But he’s probably the most mature one that’s still alive. And he’s such a strong fighter. He must get the emotional draining from his mother and his stubbornness from his father. It’s almost unfair. He’s just so honed and so skilled that I’m honestly jealous. Not as jealous as Morgan.  
Oh Morgan. From what I understand, she has always been ‘a little hellion.’ But jesus, she’s just a slut. And she’s one of my best friends, don't get me wrong. I love her to death. Me, Fiametta, and Morgana always going off on adventures as the power house power trio! But I swear to all the gods my family knows, if she says something about shoving one of her many many lovers into her pussy I’m going to snap and shatter that precious armor of hers. She’s so emotionally weak and vulnerable that it’s a wonder how she got our last name. She has this terrible complex when it comes to people being stronger than her. She can’t win against her mom, her mother, her father, or her brother. She’s so strong and has so much potential but she can’t adapt like everyone else.  
Oh and Cousin Lin… Lin is a special place. She’s the only first cousin I have that we’re not related by blood. Lin has always been such a big daddy’s girl. ‘Daddy this’ and ‘Daddy that.’ I love Uncle Bruno. I do. But he’s not the best person in the world. I get it, you were a fucked up little kid getting fucked up in a situation and he’s the one who got you out. But she just clings to the first person who gives her the first bit of emotional support… But god damn it, she can remain so calm during everything. Her missing eye doesn’t impede on her style. Despite all of our cousins training under him or Grandpa, Lin is the only one who manages to match his style. And Uncle Bruno is one of the best sword and shield infantry that we have.  
Oh Fiametta. She’s the older of Aunt Natalie’s twins. She has the closest thing to what I have. But it’s not the same. Fiametta just drinks and drinks and parties and parties. Whenever it’s a social event, Fiametta is the one trying to get the most attention. Fia is the one jumping on our aunts and uncles. She’s the one getting into drinking competitions. She’s the one who’s always getting on the table singing songs with the others. I don’t think I can do that without my cursed magic.  
Albria is different than her twin. Despite being the younger of the two, she was chosen as this part of the branch’s representative. Can you believe that? Sweet timid Albria. The little demon girl who wanted everyone to always get along. The one who would do anything to protect her sister. The one who would bawl to her mother after she was hurt. She is to be the representative of the entire Stalborde to the entire world. Our big messed up family, filled with murderer, cut throats, and spin doctors. She was chosen to represent us. She was so timid and she’s so amazing now. She’s just so determined to make things right. She needs to. I wish I had that.  
Oh Cousin Marcos. One of the few triplets that we have. I heard what my parents told me. He was always good at magic. He had almost a dozen brands and was learning quickly how to use them. I was told that he had a strong affinity towards water, a full mastered brand by age 8. Oh, what a day that was.  
And Cousin Russo, one of the members of the Iron Fist. Russo never had any magic. Maybe in any other family that would have been considered a waste of a child or of a life, but not the Stalborde. Stalborde killed a god without any magic. He only had his unique fighting style, a lot of rage, and martial prowess. Russo went in with just a set of armor, gauntlets, and a person to beat down. Lucian hasn’t been the same since.  
Ah Cousin Bianca, the third twin. It must have been so hard on Aunt Mei to pop out triplets for her first pregnancy. Bianca’s the only twin still alive. She’s so lonely, so frigid. It fits. Earth and ice fit so well when you’re trying to close yourself off. No one has seen Bianca in so long. But I know she’s strong. Aunt Mei told me. Aunt Mei never lies.  
Cousin Luca, the third boy born and one of the many twins in this family. Luca always wanted to follow Stalborde. He loved Grand Uncle Figgy. He loved him to death. He even got him to teach him the Stalborde signature fighting style: an ogre sized battleaxe and ogre sized warhammer. Luca was strong enough, even from a young age. When that creature attacked the Iron Cage, we were all so devastated. Lucian hasn’t recovered.  
Oh Cousin Maria, Luca’s twin sister. After her twins death, she was just so lost. She couldn’t help herself. She retreated somewhere out in the ocean. I heard she spends her time with the whales and sharks. Rumor has it that she has a child, a little girl. I don’t know. She never brought the child to the Iron Cage. No one wants to ask her if they see her. But if she does, we all want to know.  
Oh Cousin Lucian. Poor, poor Lucian. He’s never been the same since the incident. He wasn’t the only one injected with eggs but he’s the only one who remembers. Maybe it was because I was asleep when it grabbed me. I don’t remember it slitting my stomach open. I don’t remember it breaking all of my ribs to host its babies. I wasn’t even aware that the family had taken anything out of my ribs. But Lucian was awake during all that, screaming the whole time. He’s always so paranoid, but he’s right. If that thing strikes again, he’ll be ready. But he’s so paranoid it scares me. But he has four people outside of the family who listen to him: Malith, Padlock, Dotty, and Mimi. They don’t come by but Cousin Mei said they’re real.  
Cousin Aurora, Cousin Stephan, and Cousin Dante are too young to remember anything and too young to start training, even if the youngest twins want to badly.  
And for my siblings, Shadow is the oldest of us. The master of darkness.My Dearest brother has always walked a dangerous line. Not between the world of matter and twilight, no. He keeps encroaching on Mom’s territory of master of shadow. He’s also so smug, so confident that a single swift strike can take down anyone. Anyone but Uncle Bruno. He had tried that once and he ended up upside down in the dirt in a matter of seconds. When he switched with his shadow, Uncle Bruno shadow gripped him and launched him back into the dirt. I think Shadow forgets he’s not the only one with the ability to control darkness.  
And Vivia is a little trouble maker, my little sister. She’s always off on adventures. It’s so hard to pin her down. One time she’s here, and the next she’s halfway to King’s Rock looking for old troll ruins. It’s such a nightmare. And she’s so smart. Never underestimate her, she’s too smart. I’m her older sister and I can’t keep up with her ramblings about all the different adventures she's been on. It’s not my fault that I’m always stuck her, stagnating. But she keeps bringing back treasures. Aunty Sven is so proud of her apprentice.  
And Malcolm, he had it rough.He got screwed by his boyfriend and he’s out for his blood. Got locked up in King’ Rock after a heist fiasco with his ex and Vivia. It ended up being a Stalborde prison break. I don’t care if he can shoot lasers of the metal on his body. He needs to get off his vengeance crap before he forgets how amazing he is.  
Oh and the baby. Mastigos, with the power to bridge people’s mind and bring them to her domain. She can fully link people together. Telepathy, imagine sharing, thought sharing. She can even create a physical space that we can enter in our dreams. It's so amazing. It’s a terrible invasion of privacy. But that’s saved our hides trying to make a cover story with mom  
And then there’s me, Beowulf. I’m just a girl with thick thighs, like the rest of my family, with big armor, and a drinking problem. Yup, that’s me. The girl who makes insanity potions with her water magic. The girl who when she uses her metal brands, rips everything around her to form as a crust around her. The girl whose only skill is to get a big axe and hit things, after she gets smashed. It’s just me. The only little girl who no one cares about. The one Stalborde who doesn’t belong to this family.  
No one gets it. No one understands. I’m not as strong as Russo or Nicholas. I can’t swing a hammer like Morgan or Albria. I’m not charismatic and Vivia or Fiametta. I can’t. I can’t do it. I’m not a mage. I’m a warrior. But I’m a pathetic warrior. Bruno keeps trying. Mommy keeps trying. Aunt Natalie tried so hard. I’m just some washed up failure who can’t handle normal alcohol. Knocking back potions of insanity. That’s what I’m good for. I get smashed, over hyped on what’s basically a kilo of opioids mixed in vodka, and I go ballistic. That’s me alright.  
Just me.  
I don’t deserve to be named after him. I’m just a letdown.  
That’s why I can’t stay in the Iron Cage. I’m so sorry Morgan. I’m so sorry Fia. I love you both. I need to follow our ancestors and find a glorious battle to die in. You won’t find me again. Thank you two.


	2. Concocting a Plan over Tea

The 'echo chamber' in the iron cage is a nice quiet place. It's a small section of a cavern, dug out by the first Ajax, son of Stalborde, Torbet son of Ajax, and Figgy son of Stalborde. Crystalline structures pepper the wells, form stalactites on the ceiling, and branch all the way to the floor to fit as columns.  
The Stalbordes filled the area with a few small tables and a massively long table able to fit at least fifty people. That was when, of course, there were only 50 of them. Their current numbers is already over 100 for a single family, one of the most powerful families in the Azure World, but only a single family.  
Each table has a tablecloth on top of it, each created uniquely by Aldo. Each table is already plated. Each table has their own cushioned chairs. Each chair has its own set of utensils, hidden underneath, wrapped in cloth.  
Though the Echo Chamber is a great spot for the nightly family dinner, five members are seated,quietly drinking lemon ginger honey tea. Each sip from one is followed by uncomfortable silence.  
Every Stalborde, sans one, looks very similar. The family isn't particularly sure why this is, given the frequent amount of adoptions they partake in. Some argue its genetics, all Stalbordes house some sort of thickener gene. Some of them argue that it's the exercises they perform. 100 squats unweighted followed by 100 squats weighted, 100 pushups, and capped with sparring matches would get the signature body shape that they have. Fat, skinny, or fit, all Stalbordes have hips that can't fit through normal doors, arms bigger than most goblins, and thighs that can crush mountains.  
Despite the rapid hyperbole and boasting many of the Stalbordes take, there are quiet days. One of their members are missing. This itself is nothing special. Every Stalborde is encouraged and expected to go off on their own to take their claim to fame. Aldo creates tapestry. Natalie is perhaps the best smith, although being a creature made of stars might be an unfair advantage. There's a small family unit who has the best restaurant known to man, dwarf, minotaur, and orc king lead by Tangerine.  
There are even some Stalbordes that have gained worldwide recognition. Every city, every culture, is hyper isolated due to the terrible climate and the sudden pivot between fall and winter and spring and summer. There are dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of miles in between each city. And yet, despite all of this, there are Stalbordes with titles that most of the known world knows.  
Bruno is known as Behemoth, Titan of Flesh. Figgy is known as the Aspect of Earth and Fire. Mei is known as the Pirate Queen. Torben the Lava Elemental. Lily is known as the Raven Queen. Franco II is known as the Calamity. Stalborde himself is known as the God Killer.  
But most members do not have the prowess over these. Beowulf, daughter of Lily the Raven Queen, is one. She had left her cousins a note. It was a goodbye letter, she was finally ready to prove her independence to the clan. However, it read like a suicide letter. Her parents, uncles, and aunts were never told about this. Several of her cousins sit at the large table to discuss this.  
The first one sitting down is a demonspawn, a deep purple woman. She has straight pink hair with little sprinkles of some sort of white starry powder in them. It is part of her hair and not a forign substance. Her long thing devil tail whips around the large warhammer on her back. Her hand picks at her sports bra under her dress. She is Albria, daughter of Natalie.  
Albria begins after slurping her scorching hot tea, "Beowulf can't handle something like this. She's not in the right mind!"  
The others listen to her breaking the silence first. Normally Albria is calm and kind, but she is in such a worried state that its clear to any of the trained combatants at the desk that she's ready to run off to collect her wayward cousin.  
Fiametta places a worried hand on her shoulder. Fiametta is Albria's twin sister, a fellow demon kin, and the only one who snuck vodka into her tea like a madman.They almost look identical with a few key differences. Fiametta is a few shades deeper purple. It's the best equivalent of a tan that they have. Fiametta had spent too many times naked in the sunlight as a kid, trying to get everyone to "play tag." She always lost when her mother arrived. But Fiametta's horns are different than Albria too. Albria had gotten into an accident and they popped off.They haven't exactly healed back to a full ram. Unlike Albria, Fiametta has a  
Fiametta squeezes her twins shoulder and says, "That's why we're here."  
Albria sighs, "Yeah I know. If we leave all right now-"  
Fiametta interrupts"Which is my plan"  
"Then obviously everyone is going to go nuts."  
"...Fine."  
Fiametta folds her arms together.  
"Vivia, can you tell us about your older sister?"  
Vivia is a dark olive raven haired girl. She has a tan explorer's outfit on, and a belt full of pockets. Each pocket is filled with tools. Daggers for killing. Knives for cooking. Needles for acupuncture. Maps and papers and false documents to forge into whatever she needs. Quills, wax, and candles, and ink. There's a lantern at her side, and a set of pitons on her.  
Normally she's bubbly but she's very solemn. "Mm..." She starts.  
The other look at her as she thinks, a mix between morbid curiosity, concern, and genuine interest take over the group in various shades.  
"Beowulf has been very... hard on herself. She's been saying her magic is useless."  
Fiametta's brows fuel on that. She scoffs quietly. But it's loud enough for Albria to hear.  
"She's been practicing with Uncle Bruno, Aunty Fiametta, my Dad, Grandpa, and even Cousin Ajex. Even Fia and Morgan. She's been really frustrated."  
Fiametta's ears droop but Morgan's perk up. Morgan is a quarter dragon, dark olive skinned with lapis lazuli's making up her bones, teeth, horns, nails. Her black hair is slicked back with gel she shares with her brother. Unlike Fiametta's ram horns and Albria's current goat horns, Morgan has large bovine horns. Her tail isn't as big as her twin brothers, it being thin and wispy like Fiametta and Albria, but they swish back and forth as she thinks of the rough sparring with one of her best friends. Like Albria, she has a large warhammer on her back.  
Morgan shouts, "And she did really well! She really did!"  
Vivia's upper eyelids droop to a half open position. "Is that why you beat her 19 to 1?"  
"And she did great on that last one!"  
"She said she only beat you because you had just challenged Uncle Bruno to a fight."  
"...Well Daddy is a really hard opponent."  
"No shit he is. All of us ganged up on us, and not only did he beat all of our asses, but he kept critiquing our form" Muttered Nicholas, Morgan's half brother and twin.  
Their story is a bit funny. Their father, Bruno Stalborde, has two different wives, two different kinds of half dragons. Nicholas and Morgan are called the twins because,despite having two different mothers, they were born on the same day. Besides,their parents love them equally. Mostly.  
Nicholas himself is a quarter ruby dragon. Like his sister, he's a dark olive. Brown hair slicked back to form a short ponytail. He has orange eyes with hugs sickly purple bags underneath them. He's covered in freckles, like his mother, but a few scars here and there from Morgan practicing knife throwing. Unlike everyone else at the table, he has no weapons besides his well trained hands, his thick prehensile tail, and his tiny juts of horns.  
Nicholas looks at everyone looking at him, scratches picks at the cup of tea he has in his hand, and says, "But going full out on Beowulf? Was that necessary?"  
"Do you think I should dishonor her by not?" Morgan grumbles.  
"Guys! Let's not fight!" Albria says over top them. Fiametta and Vivia nod with her statement.  
Despite being one of the youngest people there, Albria is technically the highest in their hierarchy. And although Nicholas or Morgan, separately, could smash her into the ground, they back down.  
"...What are we going to do?" Albria mutters.  
"Alby, let's look at our options." Nicholas says.  
"We can walk out of the iron cage, right here, right now." Fiametta starts.  
"That'll get the attention of the inner council." Albria answers, thinking of the consequences for Beowulf.  
"And?" Morgan asks.  
"I don't want them to clip her wings or anything. She doesn't need to be babied."  
"Yeah but..." Morgan says. She looks to her brother with puppy eyes and a pout.  
"I'm with Morgan on this." Nicholas says. Morgan cheers at the response.  
"I'm not leaving Albria on her own!" Fiametta shouts.  
Vivia knows her cousins enough that the two groups of twins won't leave each other.  
Vivia knocks hard on the wooden table and shouts, “Hey! Why don’t we take this a bit more seriously because its my sister who can get hurt. Come to a compromise.”  
Albria’s breath hitches. Nicholas, Fiametta, and Morgan stare calmly.   
“...How about we tell a few people, maybe not part of the inner council per say…” Albria begins.  
“I want to tell my dad at least.” Nicholas says.  
“But she can get in trouble though!”  
“Daddy always encourages us to be independent and stuff. But he also knows that telling someone would be better. If a bunch of people disappeared again, it could be like that eldritch fight that happened. You know, th-”  
“Yeah yeah. But we’re not little kids anymore. Even if one of us… hasn’t really recovered.” Albria moans. Morgan, Vivia, and Fiametta shiver at Lucian’s current mental state.  
Morgan chugs the rest of her tea, completely ignoring the steaming heat and the purpose of a tea party, and proclaims, “My newest proposition! I go talk to my daddy, and why don’t you grab a few of our cousins and stuff. Let’s keep this relatively close knit. I love our other family members but the fewer people know about this stuff, the better.”  
“...Agreed.” Albria says, finishing her cup.  
“We should do a toast!” Fiametta shouts.  
Vivia raises her near full tea cup and clangs it with Fiametta’s empty one.  
Albria and Nicholas look at each other, knowingly. Nicholas leans over the table and says to her, “I’ll go grab Lin, Lucian. and Aurora. You go get Shadow, Malcolm, and Mastigos.”  
“This is a lot more people than I expected.” Albria says back. Bits of tea from Vivia’s cup splashes on top her hair. Morgan and Fiametta are being rough with their younger cousin.  
“Aurora is the only one of us who can heal, out of the closest family. Lucian is fast. He’s not as fast as me, but he’s fast. Lin is a good tracker, especially if DMV and Cinnabon are with her.”  
“Right. Okay. Those all… make sense. And Shadow, Malcolm, and Mastigos because they’re Beowulf’s siblings.”  
“Right.”  
Albria nods. “Shake on it?” She asks, smiling.  
Nicholas gives a small one back. He extends one hand forward and Albria returns the favor.


End file.
